An article by News Agency of Nigeria was published in various Nigerian Newspapers on the 25th of July 2016 where the outgoing Consul-General of Nigeria Mrs Uche Ajulu-Okeke stated that 254 Nigerian residents in South Africa had defrauded the Federal Government of Nigeria to the tune of 11 million Naira an equivalent of $39, 370, over visa and passport fees at processing centres in South Africa.

The Outgoing Consul General Uche Ajulu-Okeke stated in her interview with the News Agency of Nigeria that Online Integrated Solutions (OIS) reported the loss to the Nigerian Consulate.

“Concrete evidence that we have got shows a recent compilation of 254 online payment fraudulent reversals of passport applications which occurred between the months of April and June, 2016, Mrs Ajulu-Okeke said.

She added: “These acts were deliberately done by Nigerians to defraud their government,” with the active connivance of banks.

The Outgoing Consul General pointed out that the South African banking system allows anyone with a credit card to reverse such payment if there was complain within 30 days.

“Unfortunately, some Nigerians in South Africa have perfected the act of defrauding the Federal Government by going to the banks to report loss or fraudulent use of such cards and the banks will reverse the payment,” she lamented without stating why it took the consulate so long to discover.

The Nigerian Voice Newspaper spoke to a few Nigerians on their views about the issue.

Mr. Ahmed Olanrewaju a Nigerian businessman based in Randburg, Johannesburg said “We are not surprised. Why did the Consul General hand over the duties of Nigeria Immigration which is a Federal Government Agency to a private organization which is not approved by the Federal government of Nigeria to operate in South Africa? This is one of the reasons we voted out the Jonathan administration; Corruption”

Mr. Akonawe Johnson, a Niger Delta indigene based in Cape Town, was worried about the fact that outgoing Consul-General changed the Federal Government form of payment to suit her singular ideology. “This goes to show that we still have a long way to go in Nigeria. Why would an individual single handedly change the Federal Government laid down procedures with regards payment of passport and visas?”, he asked?

“If she had left the payment as it were she would have no cause for worry, the Federal government must make her pay back the money”, he said.

Sometimes last year, Nigerian Voice readers will recall the alarm raised b some Nigerians South Africa concerning corruption, defrauding of the Nigerian government and their rejection of the services of Online Integrated Solutions (OIS).

The Nigerian Voice Newspaper is not disputing the allegation contained in the news report because we are yet to get concrete evidence as the Consul General claimed to have. However, the news is not shocking to The Nigerian Voice Newspaper as we have consistently raised alarm on the level of corruption and defrauding of the Federal Government by the Consul-General of Nigeria. We had in the past published series of articles with regards to issues of corruption. We had even written an open letter to the President and Vice President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria: His Excellences President Muhammudu Buahri and Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) on series of corruptions as well as the illegal services of Online Integrated Solutions (OIS).

As proof of the truth of the reported allegation, The Nigerian Voice Newspaper has requested for release of the concrete evidence of the 254 online payment fraudulent reversals. We will inform our readers when they have been made available to us.